The invention relates generally to security and more particularly to intelligent components that provide security of a perimeter.
Perimeter security is important to locations such as military installations. The perimeter comprises a property line. The security serves to keep intruders from crossing into the perimeter and residents from unauthorized exit across the perimeter.
One design locates at the perimeter a physical barrier such as a tall (e.g., twelve-foot) chain-link fence topped with razor wire and equipped with embedded sensors such as taut wires or fiber optic cable and accelerometers. The embedded sensors monitor the integrity of the physical barrier. Human operators locate and assess unauthorized violation of the perimeter remotely through use of surveillance cameras discreetly positioned and distributed near the physical perimeter.
The physical fence itself is expensive to install and maintain. Installation of the fence costs upwards of one million dollars per mile. A typical military installation has ten miles of perimeter to secure, which consequently would require upwards of ten million dollars to equip with the fence. To provide the fence at many military bases, the cost reaches billions of dollars. In addition, the requirement for human operators to participate in the surveillance of the perimeter entails further costs.
The fence is excessively-expensive or ineffective in many expected situations. To accomplish nuisance control (e.g., keeping out passers-by such as intoxicated persons) and residential monitoring, the physical fence is excessive for the purpose of deterring wandering, unintended encroachments, or unauthorized leaves. To address terrorist situations or clashes with military operations, the physical fence is ineffective against powerful, sophisticated, and destructive (e.g., explosive or airborne) forces. In addition, the taut wires or fiber optic cable when broken represent a single-point failure for breach of the barrier and violation of the perimeter, leaving open the possibility for a diversionary tactic.
Thus, a need exists for a decrease in consumption of substantial materials for perimeter security. A need also exists for a decrease in requirements for human operator participation in perimeter security. A further need exists for an increase in cost-effectiveness and robustness of measures for dealing with intruder incidents.
One implementation of the invention encompasses an apparatus. The apparatus in one example comprises a first fence post and a second fence post. The first fence post comprises a first motion sensor and a first laser sensor. The second fence post comprises a second motion sensor and a second laser sensor. The first and second fence posts cooperate to represent a subportion of a perimeter to be secured. Upon physical movement in a region outside the subportion of the perimeter to be secured, one or more of the first and second motion sensors serve to automatically perform a detection of the physical movement in the region outside the subportion of the perimeter to be secured. Upon the detection of the physical movement in the region outside the subportion of the perimeter to be secured the one or more of the first and second motion sensors serve to automatically cause the first and second laser sensors to monitor for physical movement at the subportion of the perimeter to be secured.
Another implementation of the invention encompasses a method. There are distributed at least one processor at a command center and a plurality of processors about a perimeter to be secured. A subset of the plurality of processors comprise first and second processors located in respective first and second fence posts that represent a subportion of the perimeter to be secured. The first and second fence posts comprise respective first and second motion sensors and respective first and second laser sensors. The first motion sensor automatically performs a detection of physical movement in a region outside the subportion of the perimeter to be secured. The first motion sensor automatically communicates an alert signal to the first processor. The first and second laser sensors are automatically caused, by the first processor and in response to the alert signal from the first motion sensor, to monitor for physical movement at the subportion of the perimeter. An alert signal from the first processor is, in response to the alert signal from the first motion sensor, automatically caused to be communicated among the plurality of processors and zero or more of the at least one processor.